Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Meilen Cost of Living Comparison Between Basel and Meilen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,610 in Basel versus $3,456 in Meilen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,659 in Basel versus $5,967 in Meilen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,707 in Basel versus $8,477 in Meilen.

Living in Basel is roughly 4% more expensive than in Meilen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Basel 164% above, Meilen 153% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 25.48

$30.64 CHF 25.29

0.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 104

$122 CHF 100

3.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.50 CHF 15.27

$16.67 CHF 13.76

10.98%

Cappuccino

$6.72 CHF 5.54

$6.26 CHF 5.17

7.35%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.38 CHF 5.27

$5.55 CHF 4.58

14.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 CHF 4.79

$5.04 CHF 4.16

15.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.93

$8.43 CHF 6.96

13.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.74 CHF 8.04

$8.54 CHF 7.05

14.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.86

$2.22 CHF 1.84

1.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 CHF 2.49

$3.54 CHF 2.92

-14.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.34 CHF 2.76

$4.04 CHF 3.33

-17.33%

Eggs

$8.26 CHF 6.82

$7.97 CHF 6.57

3.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.04 CHF 21.50

$27.40 CHF 22.62

-4.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.62 CHF 22.80

$26.64 CHF 21.99

3.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$41.64 CHF 34.37

$41.75 CHF 34.46

-0.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 CHF 2.93

$3.66 CHF 3.02

-3.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.87

$2.08 CHF 1.71

9.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.95 CHF 2.43

$2.67 CHF 2.20

10.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.63 CHF 3.82

$4.86 CHF 4.01

-4.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 CHF 1.46

$2.10 CHF 1.73

-15.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 CHF 1.65

$2.21 CHF 1.82

-9.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 CHF 1.81

$2.38 CHF 1.96

-7.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CHF 1.31

$1.29 CHF 1.06

23.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.43 CHF 9.43

$11.10 CHF 9.16

2.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 CHF 10.00

$13.39 CHF 11.05

-9.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 CHF 2.08

$2.21 CHF 1.82

14.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 CHF 2.50

$2.84 CHF 2.34

6.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.57 CHF 3.77

$4.59 CHF 3.79

-0.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 CHF 87.6

$102 CHF 84.2

4.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 CHF 6.52

$7.97 CHF 6.58

-0.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.58 CHF 3.78

$4.74 CHF 3.91

-3.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 71.3

$88.0 CHF 72.7

-1.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.87

$2.19 CHF 1.81

3.20%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$43.2K CHF 35.6K

$39.8K CHF 32.8K

8.56%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$40.5K CHF 33.4K

$40.5K CHF 33.5K

-0.06%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$295 CHF 244

$240 CHF 198

23.15%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$53.7 CHF 44.36

$39.33 CHF 32.46

36.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 CHF 53.0

$66.0 CHF 54.5

-2.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.3 CHF 69.5

$92.6 CHF 76.4

-8.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$57.7 CHF 47.61

$46.24 CHF 38.17

24.74%

Cinema Ticket

$23.28 CHF 19.21

$22.49 CHF 18.56

3.51%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,047 CHF 2,515

$2,882 CHF 2,379

5.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.3K CHF 27.5K

$44.1K CHF 36.4K

-24.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$145 CHF 120

$140 CHF 115

3.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$80.2 CHF 66.2

$60.3 CHF 49.80

32.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 CHF 133

$150 CHF 124

7.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 164

$173 CHF 143

14.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 CHF 1,728

$1,772 CHF 1,462

18.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 CHF 1,269

$1,493 CHF 1,232

3.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,533 CHF 2,917

$2,847 CHF 2,350

24.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 CHF 2,328

$4,086 CHF 3,373

-30.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K CHF 15.1K

$16.1K CHF 13.3K

13.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.7K CHF 12.1K

$12.3K CHF 10.2K

19.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,077 CHF 5,841

$8,471 CHF 6,992

-16.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.43

1.72

41.28%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Basel: September 14, 2026

Last update for Meilen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,093 in Basel and $1,772 in Meilen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Meilen pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $126 in Basel vs $122 in Meilen. Groceries flip the comparison at $587 vs $591, with Basel cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Basel vs Meilen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Meilen wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Meilen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Meilen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,093 in Basel versus $1,772 in Meilen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,047 in Basel versus $2,882 in Meilen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Basel pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Meilen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Meilen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $3,456 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Meilen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Basel and Meilen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Meilen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.